Theatre #tothepoint for DC, MD & VA

As the first year of Theatre to the Point comes to a close we wanted to recognize the best of what we saw in 2017. We were paying audience members at a limited number of shows this year and in the future as our site grows we expect these yearly reviews to be a far more comprehensive overview of the best our region had to offer.

Best Musical:

Aida – Reston Community Players

We were blown away by the technical quality of this production that we described as “must see community theatre”

It’s been a year where local theatres have embraced plays with some pretty dark themes and none were more enjoyable than Silver Spring Stage exploring the rapture inside the break room of a Hobby Lobby.

Omnium Gatherum. A collection of miscellaneous people brought to us by Alexandra Gersten-Vasilliaros and Theresa Rebeck who wrote the play in the direct aftermath of the September 11th attacks. Their work represents the conversations that were being had in all walks of life in post 9/11 America in the form of an elegant dinner party where it quickly becomes clear that all is not as it seems.

The Silver Spring Stage features a relatively simple set design from Don Slater – we feel like we’re in a high end New York apartment – with a table set with seven places. There is one entrance out of this room that will eerily glow with each use and black curtains at the extremities of the stage where serving tables will unnervingly appear from and vanish into. This two sided stage is always the challenge of this space and the positioning of the table, where most of the action will take place, was likely something that kept the Director, Bill Hurlbut, awake at night. The sight lines are not ideal (the experience of the audience likely greatly differs depending on their seat) and we found ourselves for much of the first half of the play looking at the back of three of our protagonists who in turn blocked the faces of those who were facing us. The table is just upstage of center and allows plenty of room for the actors to break away downstage from the group when the moment dictates. It may have been a stronger choice to place the table as far downstage as possible, to really make the audience feel like the eighth member of the dinner party, and allow a more natural choice when the characters need space to break away from all of us. Such are the mysterious goings on at this gathering that the periodic lighting and sound effects could perhaps have even been accompanied by the use of a turntable changing the orientation of the table and allowing us a different perspective of the evening’s guests. This is, however, a well-directed and well-acted play. To hold our attention so closely for over an hour and a half (with no intermission) is testament to that and the character work that has been achieved. The pacing is well done with overlapping dialogue used where appropriate to keep things ticking along and there is just enough intrigue to have us forming our own theories while we follow the debate. There are a few too many times where the need to make a point is combined with leaving the table and while it makes things visually more interesting there were opportunities to be creative in finding justifications for the movement that were passed up.

Truthful performances are absolutely essential for this play to work and thankfully we have a cast who largely succeed in that challenge. Lou Pangaro is absolutely compelling as Khalid as he evolves from quietly expressing his world view into raw honest pleading and his arc through the course of the evening is a joy to watch. Roger (Keith Cassidy) is the Capitalist of the group and the angriest about what has happened to his country. Cassidy is terrific in all of his exchanges and he has a wonderful raspiness to his voice that allows him to commit fully to these moments. Cassidy does have a tendency to pull focus with over playing his reactions to other people’s dialogue and less would definitely be more in this aspect of his work. The moments of playful contempt shared between Roger and Lydia (Leigh Rawls) are the most enjoyable of the night with both actors fully immersed in their beliefs and back story. Suzie (Wendy Baird) represents much of America and is a delightful mix of good intentions, a little ignorance and unexpected moments of depth. There is a ‘band playing on while the Titanic sinks’ quality to the character that Baird captures wonderfully and it’s a more nuanced performance than you originally realize as the plot develops. Suzie introduces a surprise guest of the evening and Omar LaTiri brings a controlled intensity and believability to a role it would have been very easy to turn into a cliché.

Bill Hurlbut gets good performances from his entire cast and the mystery of the story is handled deftly with the smart lighting and sound design. The questions raised in this play have shaped our current reality and they are asked in a way that will make you feel a whole range of emotions – not least to laugh as it is genuinely funny – which is what good theatre does.

With our scoring system and our unique value for money guide we rate this show at $30. We recommend selecting a seat near the center walkway between the two seating sections. Omnium Gatherum continues at Silver Spring Stage until November 18th.

It is a bitterly cold Friday night in Olney and the perfect opportunity to gather for the opening of the Damascus Theatre Company’s production of The Little Mermaid and hope to be warmed by a little Disney magic. The stage at the Carl Freeman auditorium features two impressive downstage set pieces – Ariel’s shrine stage right and Ursula’s lair stage left – and a platform a third of the height of the back wall with a projection screen behind. The show opens with a lengthy overture and as the lights come up we see fabric stretched across the lower section of the stage to represent the water. Ariel (Kendall Sigman) makes a slightly shaky first impression vocally on The World Above as she glides across the stage in roller skate shoes and while it is an effective way of representing movement underwater we’re interested to see how this affects the choreography as the show progresses. Designer Bill Brown is off to a strong start as set pieces converge from both wings to turn the entire back platform into a ship and it’s an impressive transition into Fathoms Below with Prince Eric (Kevin James Logan), Grimsby (Ernie Poland), Pilot (David Robinson) and the Sailors looking striking against the blue backdrop.

Unfortunately, Director, Shelly Horn places much of the rest of the first act in the middle of the stage where there is no set with actors taking it in turn to walk downstage center (it becomes a procession) to deliver their solo. When the action does move to Ariel’s or Ursula’s location the lighting is a huge distraction as the actors are simply not blocked in the light. It is unclear how much of this is lighting design or technical issue but far too often we have people in semi-darkness. Despite an unsatisfying low key entrance, Becca Sears looks the part as Ursula in her squid dress and convincingly fitted wig and while the staging of Daddy’s Little Angel is unimaginative, Sears gives a fine vocal. Sigman overcomes what were perhaps early jitters and brings that Disney Princess quality to Part of Your World and despite the unseen orchestra being too quiet at times the show is definitely beginning to sound the part. Logan sings impressively and with feeling (especially on Her Voice) but that emotion vanishes in his line delivery and the dialogue between him and the Sailors before The Storm is completely flat. That isn’t the case for King Triton (Brian Lyons-Burke) as he thunders across the stage to destroy Ariel’s human shrine but despite a pleasing visual effect the lackluster accompanying sound and muted reaction from Sigman make the whole moment underwhelming.

The choreography of Cheryl Campo is also missing the mark. She’s in Love, featuring the Mersisters and Flounder (Nick Ramirez) is a huge lost opportunity and whether it’s the limitation of the roller skate shoes or just a lack of ambition, the routines are far too basic. That’s also the case with the big ensemble number, Under The Sea, with the added frustration that the platform is completely ignored while the lower level is restrictively overcrowded. Ramirez gives an admirable performance but it’s questionable to cast someone of his age in this role and it leaves the whole relationship between Flounder and Ariel feeling somewhat awkward. The first act ends on the vocal highlight of the night with Sears terrific in her lower register as she belts Poor Unfortunate Souls.

The second act begins with Ariel trying to get accustomed to her new feet and she is helped by Scuttle (Jason Douds) and the Gulls in Positoovity. Most of what we have seen to this point has been movement rather than choreography so while it’s an unremarkable tap routine it’s a welcome change and a fun way to highlight some of the ensemble. There are a lot of set changes after the intermission and there are too many blackouts used for the transitions. Isolating areas of the stage with a stronger lighting design would have facilitated seamless changes of scene and a much better flow to the story telling. Some of the new locations are visually impactful and the simple tall white windows really pop against the backdrop for the interior of the palace. As Ariel sings Beyond My Wildest Dreams it would have been great to see Prince Eric silhouetted walking across the back platform but instead he wanders through the middle of the scene and leaves us (which won’t be for the last time) questioning exactly where we are?

Co-Music Director, Keith Tittermary brings a lot of flamboyance to the role of Chef Louis in Les Poissons but the reprise featuring a convoluted chase sequence between the Chefs and Sebastian (William Jeffreys) is completely under-cooked. The concept is fine but the execution is nowhere near tight enough for the comedy to land and needed another week of rehearsal at least. Kiss The Girl features Ariel and Prince Eric in a rowboat on the lower level of the stage surrounded by various aquatic ensemble members. Scuttle and the Gulls appear on the upper platform above the boat which as birds makes sense (with the fluffy white clouds on the projection screen further establishing it as the sky)…until they are joined by a frog and turtles. It is part of an overall inconsistent vision from the Director as rules are established (when and where the fabric is used to depict water for example) and broken just as quickly. If Only is the standout number of the second act with four locations isolated in in the light for Ariel, King Triton, Prince Eric and Sebastian. All four are in great voice with Sigman delivering her best vocal of the night – but even this highlight is distracting because of the choice of the positions and the unbalanced nature of the stage. There is more confusion to come in the finale as the shoreline, firmly established in the prior scene (a line in the sand if you will) is ignored as Maids appear in the waves and Chefs in the sky.

This is vocally a fairly strong show from the leads but it lacks a big ensemble moment and the choreography possibilities are almost completely unexplored. There are committed acting performances from Lyons-Burke, Sears and Jeffreys but they are given little support from the overall staging of the show while the potential of the set is under-utilized and the enjoyable costume design of Laurie Williams is overshadowed by the hugely disappointing nature of the lighting.

It’s not easy to get into the Christmas spirit with regrets over the Halloween candy consumption still all too fresh in the memory but as we take our seats at the Fitzgerald Theatre in Rockville there is the anticipation that the music of American song writing legend, Irving Berlin, will take us there.

Duane Monahan is Director and Choreographer for this Rockville Music Theatre production and there is a lack of focus for the overall vision of the show. The set design of Maggie Modig and the costumes of Richard Battestelli have some stand out moments – Modig does a nice job with the design of the Inn lobby – but they lack co-ordination and consistency making it unclear when and where our story is taking place.

Amanda Jones has a wonderful old school quality to her voice that brings to mind Judy Garland and it’s perfect for the role of Betty Haynes. Jones is vocally the star of the night and although she gives a solid acting performance it never quite reaches the same heights. In contrast, Liz Weber hits all the right comedic beats in her portrayal of Martha Watson while having some vocal struggles. Weber definitely brings a lot of humor to the role and her performance is noteworthy given that many of the lines delivered by her scene partner, General Henry Waverly (Jack Mayo), fall a little flat. There is a lovely moment of harmony for Music Director, Marci Shegogue, as Jones, Weber and Sirena Dib combine delightfully on Falling Out of Love Can Be Fun.

For much of the night the ensemble outshine the leads. Shows that feature a heavy dose of tap dancing can be a challenge for most community theatre productions but Monahan and his assistant Cathy Oh did a fine job tackling the load. The big routines are relatively basic but they are clean and well-rehearsed. The musical number of the night is I Love a Piano with the choreography incorporating the ensemble and the scenery as the chorus girls enter carrying musical notes which are hung as part of the set. The number builds up to the point where Phil Davies (Michael Page) can show off his tap skills as he performs a well-executed solo on top of the piano. Page is solid vocally as is Paul Loebach as Bob Wallace but neither of the male leads bring enough charisma to their roles or develop real chemistry with their female counterparts.

Visually the show is at its best for the very final number as costumes and the set finally work in harmony and combined with the snow projected in the background we start to feel a little bit of Holiday cheer. There are some confusing moments (Betty’s entrance to the front porch) and overall the characters are not fully developed enough for us to be fully engaged in the serene pace set by Monahan. If you already have your Christmas Tree up then this might be the show for you…

Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida is a technically challenging and vocally demanding show for a community theatre to take on. With the Director, Andrew JM Regiec, also tackling set design responsibilities (a doubling of duties that can derail far easier productions) we wonder if the Reston Community Players will be up to the task. As we settle into our seats at the Reston Community Center those concerns are quickly allayed.

The show opens in the wonderfully designed modern museum and it is the setting for a man and a woman to be transfixed by each other’s gaze and share an ancient connection. The statue of Amneris (Claire O’Brien Jeffrey) comes to life to deliver a beautiful vocal performance on the slow burning Every Story is A Love Story. Regiec’s vision for the show works in total synchronicity with his and Dan Widerski’s versatile set design. This is perfectly showcased on My Strongest Suit when Amneris and her entourage are using the stairs that cross the stage left to right. The stairs are deconstructed before our eyes and transformed into a runway that brings the action downstage in the form of a fashion show that climaxes with Amneris in one of the best costumes of the night. Jeffrey sings well throughout but does have a tendency to overplay the jokes rather than trust the writing (and the audience) and we have to wait until the second act for the honesty we really want from her character. She strikes the right tragic note necessary in her acting and her singing on I Know the Truth and it’s a wonderful moment that is elevated by the stunning costume design by Charlotte Marson. Her dress conveys the trapped melancholy of the lyrics, conjuring imagery of her being inside a cage.

Elton John and LeAnn Rimes combined to make Written in the Stars a billboard hit and the best known song from the show. The job of portraying the love story of Aida and Radames belongs to Tara Lynn Yates-Reeves and Brett Harwood. Yates-Reeves has a delightful tone to her voice but is definitely taken out of her comfort zone when in her upper register and some of her swaying and gesticulating while singing is somewhat distracting. Harwood has a very rock edge to his voice that would sound at home as Mark Cohen in Rent and he gives a committed vocal performance that overcomes the occasional pitch issue. The true drama and despair of their relationship is never fully realized – unfortunately Harwood’s line delivery often falls a little flat – but there are genuine moments of chemistry between the pair. It’s a strong supporting cast and Paul Tonden, in the role of Radames’ father, sings with clarity and purpose and combines that with a strong stage presence.

The highlight for Music Director, Elisa Rosman, comes just before the intermission with the gospel-esque The Gods Love Nubia. The ensemble does a great job all night but this is the moment for the goosebumps. The choreography by Andrea Cook is relevant and creative throughout, utilizing the levels of the set, but the execution does not reach the same plane. The majority of the dance numbers are not together or clean and would have benefited from another solid week of rehearsal.

The final moments for Aida and Radames are movingly staged as Director and Lighting Designers (Ken & Patti Crowley) collaborate to beautiful effect. Despite no truly standout performance, Regiec deserves huge credit for the overall vision of the show and the creativity and imagination of the set design. In unison with the amazingly fast choreographed scene transitions (kudos to the stage crew) it is worth the price of admission alone – this is must see community theatre.

It’s opening weekend for the Arlington Players and as we walk in to the Thomas Jefferson Theatre our eyes are greeted by the eclectic set, designed by Jared Davis, which has a slightly mysterious quality that is perfect for Pippin – a musical that always leaves you questioning when and where you are. It looks like one impressive structure but to our pleasant surprise it splits into segments and provides a variety of interesting locations with varying levels for the Director (Christopher Dykton) and Choreographer (John K. Monnett) to utilize. Unfortunately, over the course of the next couple of hours, that opportunity is squandered.

We are introduced to the troupe and the Leading Player (Erich DiCenzo) in Magic to Do and it’s a tepid start visually and vocally. Until the very end of the night we never get the sense of foreboding we require from the presence of the Leading Player. We’re looking for sinister and seductive in equal measure but DiCenzo comes across more like a Vegas magician. The lighting is an issue for much of the show. At times there appear to be huge dead spots downstage where people are unintentionally lost in shadow, and at others the whole stage is lit where isolation is badly needed. The spotlight is completely over used throughout, most egregiously at the same time that the back wall is being projected upon, spoiling the effect.

Pippin is a show that regularly breaks the fourth wall so it’s important to make the dialogue between those on stage as truthful as possible so that contrast is established. Disappointingly, so many of the conversations between characters are delivered with the actors standing in straight lines facing the audience. The players must become their characters and the material really needs to be handled honestly for the pay off in the second act to make sense. Dykton and his cast treat the whole first act as if it is some long lost sequel to Spamalot, with every funny moment in the writing delivered like a punchline, leaving the action feeling somewhat disconnected from the material. That same sense permeates Monnett’s choreography which fails to exploit the many levels the set presented. During Spread a Little Sunshine, Fastrada (Carla Crawford) is left with absolutely nothing to do on stage during a dance break that seems to last an eternity and you can’t help feel for her by the end of it.

There are other awkward moments in the first act. During No Time at All, Berthe (Melanie-Jennings-Bales) inexplicably turns her back on Pippin (Jonathan Gruich) to walk several paces across the stage (to where we can only assume X marked the spot) to deliver the next part of the song. What should be the highly suggestive staging of sexual discovery in With You, leaves Gruich looking like he wandered into a ballet class. We do end act one in a visually striking way. With the stage eerily lit, the ensemble enters in religious red robes before Pippin confronts his father, Charlemagne (Keith J. Miler).

Music Director, Blakeman Brophy, has dancers first, singers second in the leading male roles. There is no stand out ensemble moment and along with a hesitant performance from the orchestra the show is underwhelming musically. Act two focuses on the relationship between Pippin and Catherine (Patty Rupinen) after she discovers him in There He Was. Many of the jokes before the intermission were overplayed so it’s surprising when Catherine’s initial attraction to the arch of Pippin’s foot is all but discarded. Rupinen gives the strongest vocal of the night on Kind of Woman but the chemistry between her and Gruich is never really developed because of how the scenes are portrayed. There is no real sense that the relationship is evolving into something deeper – in fact Catherine and her son, Theo (Aidan Chomicki) seem like an unwanted distraction for Pippin. There is a rare candid moment when Rupinen starts to reveal Catherine’s feelings for Pippin to the Leading Player. This moment of truth, however, feels a little hollow as everything we’ve seen up to this point is fighting against it.

The staging of the finale features another beautiful set piece, a relatively impressive technical success for the fire effect, and a rather bizarre moment after one of the players pretends to jump into the flames. The gravity of what they are asking Pippin to do does not really land because the foundations for that darkness have not been laid. The final scene of the show is the strongest of the production as the set is deconstructed to make Catherine aware of what life will be like with the choices she is making. As Theo stands alone center stage, with the Leading Player looming in the background, lighting and staging work in harmony to deliver a fleeting image of the show this could have been.

Based on Joseph Moncure March’s 1928 poem of the same name, Andrew Lippa’s musical, The Wild Party, opened off Broadway in 2000. The poem was banned for its’ decadent portrayal of the roaring 20s and we settle into our seats expecting an evening of debauchery from The Constellation Theatre Company. The main feature of Scenic Designer, Tony Cisek’s set is an art deco wall with three central stairs leading to a glittering entrance. Behind the upper half of the beautifully lit back wall is a seven piece band.

Queenie was a Blonde opens the show as the male members of the company, in their newsboy attire, surround Queenie (Farrell Parker) and it’s a somewhat uncertain start vocally from the men. The lower half of the stage right wall smartly opens to reveal a bed as we see the origin of Queenie’s sexually abusive relationship with Burrs (Jimmy Mavrikes). Mavrikes plays the light and dark of his character brilliantly and the simple removal of his red clown nose transforms his face with his perfectly sullen eye makeup accentuating every brooding moment. Out of the Blue portrays the fading of the couple’s destructive passion and Parker finds her character somewhere between victim and boredom as ‘the girl who’s caught just staring in space.’ Embracing this introspective lyric is a fine baseline for her character but we need the public façade she presents to be in stark contrast. As Parker makes her entrance at the party she doesn’t so much Raise the Roof as slightly loosen a tile or two.

Look at Me Now marks Kate’s (Kari Ginsburg) arrival and it might as well be an audience instruction for the rest of the night as it’s hard to take your eyes off of her. Ginsburg oozes charisma as the slightly washed up party girl and you can feel her character’s life experience in every single thing she does on stage. Kate has brought Black (Ian Anthony Coleman) with her and he quickly becomes transfixed by Queenie. Poor Child introduces us to Coleman’s smooth vocals and when he drops into his lower register it’s like being wrapped in a warm blanket. The climax of the song, featuring Queenie, Burrs, Kate and Black is perhaps the musical highlight of the whole night. Music Director, Walter McCoy, finds the perfect blend to the overlapping lyrics and what started as melancholy ballad evolves into electrifying raw emotion with Mavrikes in particular pouring everything he has into the moment.

Allison Arkell Stockman has done a masterful job directing this cast and making the limited rhyming dialogue feel truthful and natural. It would be very easy for the other company members to be clichés – after all their stereotypes are named when they are first introduced – but they hit every comedic beat without ever falling into that trap. Rachel Barlaam steals her moments as the predatory lesbian, Madelaine True, and her performance in AnOld Fashioned Love Story is laugh out loud funny as is her comic timing throughout the evening. The Juggernaut gives the band a chance to show their full repertoire and they sound at their sultry best (unfortunately the chemistry between Parker and Coleman does not quite reach the same heights) before a breathtaking finale to the song with Ginsburg singing like a women possessed.

The d’Armano brothers (Tiziano D’Affuso & Christian Montgomery) pitch their idea for a musical with A Wild, Wild Party and lighthearted storytelling gives way to high octane choreography. Ilona Kessell’s routines are relevant and entertaining all night but this is the highlight as the energy and execution are spectacular and it’s hard to tell if the audience or the cast are having the most fun. This feels like such a natural end to the first act it comes as somewhat of a surprise to find everyone is still on the stage. Two of a Kind seems destined to be an anticlimax but Eddie (Calvin Malone) and Mae (Emily Zickler) don’t allow that to happen and find their own moment in a thoroughly adorable routine. What is it About Her? is powerfully staged by Stockman, using the full depth of the space, as Burrs and Queenie sing about their relationship while sat with Kate and Black respectively. It is Parker’s best moment of the night as her tragic vocals intertwine wonderfully with Mavrikes’ passionate pleading.

Any thought that the momentum would be lost by the intermission is blown away as Ginsburg completely owns the stage in The Life of the Party. It’s the type of performance that should have her name at the top of any list when award season comes around. The arrival of a bathtub center stage moves the action to the bathroom and after Burrs fails to get his way with Queenie a smart lighting change transports him back into his role as performer as he briefly faces the audience before launching into the self-destructive anthem Let Me Drown. Kessell’s choreography is terrific again as despite the largely flat space she creates depth and levels with her actors as they crouch around the tub before Burrs climbs on top of it and is transported around the stage as the captain of his vessel. The slow motion fight scene that follows, choreographed by Robb Hunter, adds yet another layer to this production and A.J. Guban’s lighting, which is on point throughout, complements it perfectly with strobe effects. Queenie leads Black to the bedroom and Come with Me certainly brings out the sex in Coleman’s voice but that doesn’t really translate into the physicality between him and Parker and the scene ultimately feels a little awkward. The tension is soon restored as the Queenie, Black, Burr, triangle reaches its’ tragic finale in Make Me Happy. Mavrikes is utterly believable as the unhinged Burrs as he threatens to Kill Black and himself and it’s a performance every bit as compelling as Ginsburg’s.

Constellation has pulled off something special. There is a great depth of talent in this cast and this production team has given them the platform to shine. With two unmissable performances and tickets available at an absolute steal it’s one of the must see shows of the season.

With our scoring system and our unique value for money guide we rate this show at $70. We have based the value rating of +$15 on the highest priced tickets of $55. This show is terrific value at this price but there are tickets available for this show at just $25! See this show while you can. The Wild Party continues at Constellation until October 29th.

It’s Saturday night at the JBK Theatre on the Campus of the Frederick Community College and time for us to venture Into the Woods. The 1998 Stephen Sondheim musical, which intertwines many of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales, got a new lease of life after the release of the 2014 Disney movie and it’s the Fredericktowne Players opening show of their 2017/18 season. The first impression is a positive one as the set design by Morgan Southwell and Steve Knapp is simple but visually impressive. The back wall and flats feature intricately painted woodland scenes and there are two platforms, one across the rear of the stage, and another, like a catwalk, leading down center.

The curtain speech is delivered by a man in a grey suit and as the lights fade they are quickly brought back up to reveal he is in fact our narrator (Bob Ashby) for the evening. This is a nice touch but although the suit clearly distinguishes Ashby as separate from the rest of the action it makes him feel disconnected with the delivery more sale figures in the boardroom than imaginative storytelling. The lighting design of Steve Knapp works well in conjunction with the set giving the impression of sunlight finding its’ way through a canopy of branches – the slight distraction of the shadows across the faces of the actors is the price to pay for the effect.

Despite the initial aesthetic impact of the set, the limitations of the one fixed location quickly become apparent. The nature of the entrances and delivery become repetitive and overly presentational. Zach Harris, making his directorial debut, addressed this to an extent by using the stairs at either end of the stage as alternative ways of transitioning the action but unfortunately this adds to the overall feel that the pace is dragging a little. Finding more opportunities to utilize choreographer Kendall Sigman would have helped the overall balance of the show but it is difficult to pinpoint in this production where Sigman influenced the movement.

Little Red (Kaitlin McCallion) ups the energy whenever she is on the stage and her interactions with the Wolf (Alex Prete) are some of the best moments of the first act. McCallion brings a lot of attitude to the role and is always engaging but at times her delivery becomes screechy and difficult to understand. There are diction issues throughout the show, at times caused by the speed and nature of the delivery and at others due to the volume of the unseen orchestra which overpowers the actors. The Baker’s Wife (Lisa Shinn) and The Baker (William Lewis) give two of the strongest performances of the night. Shinn and Lewis are very good vocally but it’s the sincerity they bring to their relationship that makes them standout. Clay Comer has a commanding stage presence and comes close to stealing the show as Cinderella’s Prince. Comer’s duet with Rapunzel’s Prince (Steve Gondre-Lewis) on Agony (and later in the reprise) is the most interesting and entertaining of the night as the two men complement each other perfectly.

Music Director, Matt Dohm, has plenty of talent to work with and it’s a very solid show vocally. The Witch (Robin Samek) sounds simply beautiful on Stay with Me and Jack (Cam Sammartano) makes every word of I Guess This is Goodbye and Giants in the Sky believable. Neither Samek nor Sammartano find this truth in their character work however, to the extent that the deaths that occur in the second act completely pass us by until they are referenced by someone else on stage. We need the musical honesty that is displayed at its’ raw best on Your Fault to carry over into the acting and we are left wanting.

There are plenty of good choices along the way – the presence of the Giant is handled simply and effectively and the magic of the witch achieved with smart sound and lighting choices. There are more confused moments where Cinderella’s Prince arrives on a carousel horse complete with coconut shell sound effects lifted halfheartedly from Spamalot. A needless sound effect suddenly asks us to believe there is a door to the home of Jack and his Mother where such logic to comings and goings has long since been discarded by the audience. The costumes work well for the most part (the exception being Cinderella’s dress which is the sort of thing bridesmaids have nightmares about) adding to the sense that this looks like a good show. The tickets are competitively priced and it is encouraging to see a young director given an opportunity that he will only improve from.

Wildwood Summer Theatre is an all youth run organization that showcases the talents on and off stage of people between the ages of 14 and 24. It’s great to see these young men and women working together to produce theatre and when a request hit our inbox to come and see one of their productions we were encouraged that they wanted honest feedback on their work. Spring Awakening is a rock musical based on the 1891 German play of the same name and explores many aspects of teenage sexuality. The original production won eight Tony Awards and was revived on Broadway in 2015.

The stage at the Arts Barn is simply set with white flats, several seats and a coat rack, stage right. Music Director, Maddy Gershunkiy, has a live orchestra at her disposal and they are situated upstage center. The show begins with Wendla (Leslie Schneider) sat center stage as she delivers the familiar folk melody of Mama Who Bore Me. Schneider does a fine job vocally but doesn’t quite achieve the deep emotional connection the lyrics demand and the lack of movement in the staging contribute to the feeling of detachment from the material. She is joined by the other girls, Martha (Emily Gordon), Thea (Gabriela Schulman), Anna (Caitlin Barnes) and Ilse (Sanjana Taskar) who are all in fine voice for the Mama Who Bore Me (Reprise). Taskar is wearing an orange skirt, which sets the tone for the symbolic use of color in the show, and while the concept is a good one, it requires a more subtle way of presenting it as it becomes somewhat of a distraction.

A lack of character development is an issue throughout the production and is perhaps hindered somewhat by the interpretation of when the action is taking place. Director, Itai Yasur’s decision to transport the action from the late 19th century into the cell phone era is at odds with the dialogue and the sexual naivety of these teenagers. When Wendla and Melchior (Devin Cain) have sex at the end of act one the tension is broken and becomes anticlimactic at exactly the wrong time as Cain leaves the stage to get purple paint on his hands to smear onto Schneider. It’s a bold symbolic choice but ultimately one that doesn’t work without sacrificing the flow of the storytelling. Once we have embraced the use of cell phones, we can appreciate the way in which they are used to light the action in one of the most striking scenes of the second act.

The best performance of the night comes from Ben Simon in the role Moritz. Simon comes across a little too sweet at times but it’s one of the more consistent acting choices and he has a beautiful voice highlighted by the lovely mix to his falsetto.

The choreography of Danielle Burman is relevant and well-staged for the most part, although at times, such as in The Bitch of Living, it becomes too big (and presentational) for the moment and doesn’t best represent the inner feelings of the characters. In contrast, Burman gets the moment just right in Totally Fucked, injecting a much needed jolt of energy after the intermission. While at points this is a musically impressive show, and the orchestra does a respectable job with the sheer volume of music, there are pitch issues for Cain along with several other members of the cast. There were also projection and enunciation issues for some of the actors with Alina Gaynutdinova (also credited as Scenic Designer), playing the various adult women roles, particularly difficult to understand.

Yasur took some risks with his vision of the production and although they somewhat missed the mark on this occasion, it’s great that this opportunity exists for that kind of risk taking to occur – especially for a demographic that all too often disappears from working in theatre once high school is over.